Zanzibar — President Samia Suluhu Hassan has won praise from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for being among global leaders, who have shown commitment in addressing appalling trend of 'Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
According to the WHO, such NCDs include heart diseases, strokes, cancer, diabetes and chronic lung disease which are responsible for 17 million premature deaths every year, where 86 per cent of the deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries.
In Tanzania statistics shown in the 1980s, only five people out of 100 died of NCDs related cases, but recently the number has risen, where 30 up to 40 people out of 100 are said to be dying of NCD related complications.
The Acting WHO Country Representative, Dr Zabulon Yoti commended the president during the launch of 'NCDs Journalism fellowship' held in Dar es Salaam, yesterday.
He said President Samia has showed her commitment to fight the diseases during the World NCDs Congress 2022 held recently in the United States with some leaders taking part virtually.
Dr Yoti also commended the Ministry of Health for coordinating the just concluded National NCDs Week in Mwanza Region, noting that the launch of the fellowship programme has come timely.
"I commend the Tanzanian government for being the only country in the African Region and among the six (6) countries championing this initiative - the other 5 countries are China, Colombia, India, Jordan and USA," he said.
He detailed that, NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally with cardiovascular diseases accounting for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people annually, followed by cancers (9.3 million), chronic respiratory diseases (4.1 million), and diabetes (2.0 million including kidney disease deaths caused by diabetes).
"These statistics are alarming, but the good news is that we know how to prevent and manage these diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted that action on NCDs is urgent and critical to protect our people from the death and disability wrought by NCDs," he said.
Dr Yoti further said that journalists have a great role to play in the fight against the diseases especially raising public awareness of the problem and how to avoid the risk factors.
"There is a number of factors which led to lack of awareness about the NCDs but media can change people's attitudes towards the diseases ... The fellowship programme being launched today was designed to address this problem and improve the quality and quantity of media coverage on key NCD issues," he said.
He added that responsible health reporting demonstrates the power of media in bringing about policy/legislative change and ultimately behaviour change.
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Mr Yoti underlined that with support from the editors, "We are confident that stories produced from this programme will contribute to increased public awareness on key NCD issues and amplify the advocacy voice in promoting key evidence-based policy options and legislative reforms, which are needed to enable reduction of the modifiable risk factors of NCDs."
The risk factors include use of tobacco use; harmful use of alcohol; physical inactivity and consumption of unhealthy diets among others with the Assistant Director, NCD Programme in the Ministry of Health, Dr James Charles Kiologwe encouraging journalists to be more informed in the community on the NCDs problems and how to avoid them.
Equally, he thanked WHO for continued support to Tanzania, urging Journalists to use the opportunity to help members of the public know their health status, adding that the WHO has reiterated its commitment to continue working with the government and partners to accelerate coordinated and multisectoral action needed to prevent and control NCDs in the country.
